


Trade Off

by Chrystie, kate882



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Body Swap, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: People will typically swap bodies twice with their soulmate. On their own sixteenth birthday, and on their soulmate's sixteenth birthday. Kon wasn't even totally sure he'd get a soulmate until he woke up in Gotham. Wearing a Superboy tshirt. Tim thought it was a good idea when he was preparing for his birthday. Waking up in Kansas... he was mostly a little embarrassed about it. It was also probably time to tell Kon his secret identity.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent
Comments: 10
Kudos: 315





	Trade Off

Tim was very prepared for his sixteenth birthday. Anything even remotely Robin related was cleared away (more so than usual). His laptop and phone were both hidden as well, and would not be accepting anything but passwords even if they were found. He was also sleeping in a guest room in the manor so that his soulmate couldn’t go through his stuff. He even put on sweatpants to sleep, instead of just a tshirt and shorts. 

He was wearing a Superboy shirt, but well… plenty of people wore superhero shirts (usually ones they bought rather than just appropriated from the hero themselves), it wasn’t a hint for his soulmate that Tim was already interested in someone, no matter what the look Alfred gave him when he saw it said. 

He did try to stay awake, as much as he knew it wouldn’t work. Sure enough, around six in the morning he started to be unable to keep his eyes open, and the next thing he knew he was bolting upright in a body that wasn’t his own.

* * *

Kon woke up in a bed and room a lot fancier than the farm. He hadn’t exactly known when he was going to swap bodies with his soulmate, but he hadn’t really expected it to happen any time soon. He’d questioned if it would happen at all given that he was a clone that was artificially grown. 

Getting out of bed he could definitely feel the difference of not having the strength, heightened senses, and usual other powers he normally had. He could still tell that the body he was in wasn’t technically weak. By human standards. Getting himself to the closest mirror he could find he was surprised to find that he did look vaguely familiar to himself, he just couldn’t put a finger on whose body he was in.

There was a knock on the door, and someone called through, “Breakfast is ready if you’re interested.” The voice on the other side of the door also sounded sort of familiar, but not quite as much as the face staring back at him in the mirror wearing Kon’s own merch. At least he knew his soulmate was a fan. 

“Uh hi,” Kon said as he opened the door to find a man that also looked vaguely familiar.

“Hello,” he got a dazzling smile, like something that belonged on a red carpet. “I’m Bruce Wayne,” he held out his hand, “and you are?”

“Oh hey, I think you met my cousin. I’m Conner Kent.” That’s probably where he knew him from. He was pretty sure Clark had written something on him.

One of Bruce’s eyebrows ticked upwards, something passing through his eyes too quick for Kon to identify even if he’d had super vision in this body. “Clark Kent is an excellent reporter. We’ve met a few times, despite him living out in Metropolis. He’s even met Tim before.” At the new name Bruce gestured to Kon. Or, well, the body Kon was currently occupying. 

Again, the name was familiar, but not completely recognizable. “Um, you wouldn’t happen to be Tim’s dad would you?”

The smile he’d been getting softened a little. The previous one hadn’t really looked fake until he had something more genuine to compare it to. “He usually just calls me Bruce, but I am his guardian. If you’ve heard of me you may have heard of him as well. Tim Drake.”

“I probably have, but I don’t really pay a lot of attention to famous people,” Kon said a bit sheepishly.

“Probably for the best,” Bruce waved it off. “Your cousin might be a good reporter, but that doesn’t mean everyone is.” The dazzling smile was back in full force. “Now, breakfast is probably getting cold. We can keep talking over some food if you’d like?” 

Kon couldn’t really say no to breakfast. “Sure!”

* * *

Tim spent several minutes freaking out after catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Maybe the Superboy shirt had been a bad idea actually. And then he spent several more minutes freaking out, but about having superpowers for a day. 

He did eventually make himself leave Kon’s room (being very careful with the door so that he wouldn’t rip it off by accident with Kon’s super strength), hesitantly making his way to the kitchen. “Um, hello,” he greeted when he saw Clark’s parents. “I’m not whoever this is? Can you tell me where and who I am,” he offered a sheepish smile. 

“Oh! You must be Conner’s soulmate. Happy birthday, dear,” Mrs. Kent greeted him with the brightest smile.

“Now you would be on our farm in Kansas,” Mr. Kent added.

“That’s definitely a ways away from where I fell asleep,” Tim told them. Why couldn’t Kon have slept at the Young Justice tower last night? Not that it was that close by to Gotham either, but he’d have a lot more at his disposal for getting to Gotham quickly. “I’m Tim Drake,” he introduced himself. He’d only met the Kent’s once, and it had been as Robin, “and I’m guessing Conner is waking up in New Jersey about now.” 

“Oh you’re one of those boys Clark’s written about! It’s very nice to meet you.”

Tim felt his face flush slightly, which was a distinctly weird feeling while wearing someone else’s face, at the realization that the Kent’s knew who he was even when he wasn’t Robin. Clark’s article about him had been complimentary though, so there were worse first impressions to make. “It’s nice to meet you both too,” he said with a polite smile. At least he hoped it looked polite on Kon’s face. 

“Oh, isn’t he precious, honey,” Mrs. Kent cooed.

“Don’t be a stranger and help yourself to some breakfast.”

Well, Kon’s body was certainly hungry. He wondered if it was weirder or less weird to ask about why he could hear their heart beats. That was weird. It was deeply weird. But he also didn’t want to put them in a position to out Kon’s identity, even though Tim already knew who he was. He could just pretend to assume Kon was a secret meta if they brought it up he supposed. 

He let himself get distracted by breakfast, chatting with the Kent’s as they all ate. 

He insisted on helping with the dishes, but slipped up in his control of Kon’s powers for a second, snapping a fork clean in half. He didn’t even have to fake his surprise as he stared at it with wide eyes. “I-um- I’m very sorry… I can pay to replace it.” 

“Oh don’t you worry about that,” Mr. Kent laughed, “happens all the time around here.”

Tim was pretty sure if he hadn’t spent so much time helping Kon practice his powers it would certainly be happening a lot more. “If you’re sure,” he said uncertainty. “Would it be possible for me to borrow a phone so I can tell Bruce where I am?” And maybe ask him to send the Batplane. Theoretically Tim could just fly there faster… but he was also worried about the potential hazard he could be in the air when he didn’t know how to fly. 

“Of course, dear.” Mrs. Kent handed him a phone with a smile that said she was expecting questions, but wasn’t going to push.

“Thank you.” 

He stepped out of the kitchen, though it was harder to confirm when he was far enough away to not be heard when he could hear… way too much. It was overwhelming if he lingered on it, but he was good at compartmentalizing. He’d just be careful what he said. He wasn’t sure if this was a secure phone line anyway. 

“I’m assuming you’re calling about where you are and whose body you’re in.” Bruce sounded way too amused for a grumpy middle aged man.

“So he woke up already then,” Tim said evenly. “Has he... “ Tim glanced back towards the kitchen, “does he recognize me?” 

“He’s only heard about you through Clark’s article. He barely has any idea who you are.”

“... I want to tell him.” This was something they’d discussed a few times, but Tim thought he had a pretty solid appeal in the form of currently being in Kon’s body. “Also, how long would it take to get me to Gotham?” 

“By yourself, I believe that is up to you. If you’re asking for the jet then a few hours. We can talk about telling him later.”

Tim grimaced. “... I’m not sure how good of an idea it would be to get there by myself. I just broke a fork trying to wash the dishes.” 

“I’ll send the jet for you. It’d be best to warn the Kents.”

“And what exactly should I be warning them?” Tim asked skeptically. “Which jet are you sending.” They knew about Clark after all. Maybe they knew about Bruce and Tim just wasn’t aware. 

“The Batplane. They know.”

Tim was a little offended on Kon’s behalf. Apparently he was the only Kent that didn’t know. “That might have been good to know before I pretended not to know who or where I was,” Tim pinched the bridge of his nose… or well... Kon’s nose. It felt weird. 

“It wasn’t relevant information until now.” Again, he sounded too amused.

“It definitely was!” Tim hissed into the phone. “I’m going to go warn them then. I’ll see you in a few hours.” 

He walked back into the kitchen, trying to look unimpressed, but probably mostly just coming off as embarrassed. “You guys could have told me you knew,” he told the Kent’s, holding out their phone to return it. 

Mrs. Kent was polite enough to just smile at him gently, while Mr. Kent burst out laughing. “We just wanted to have a little fun. Conner hasn’t quite figured out who all of you are yet, but he does talk about you quite a bit.”

Well now Tim was definitely blushing, so if it had been a question before of if he looked embarrassed it wasn’t any more. “I’m hoping to tell him today. Bruce is sending the Batplane to pick me up. I’m a little concerned about being a flying hazard if I try it myself.” He lifted off the ground only to promptly end up floating upside down - as had happened earlier in Kon’s room when he’d been freaking out about having powers - to demonstrate. “I haven’t had quite as much practice.” 

“Don’t you worry about that. Conner barely knows how to control them himself sometimes.”

“... He’d know how to get down. I think I’m stuck,” Tim reluctantly admitted. 

This time both Mr and Mrs. Kent both laughed at him. “We’ve come to realize that’s pretty standard in learning to fly.”

“Any suggestions?” 

“They usually manage to get down once they stop thinking about it. That’s really our way of saying you’ll just need to wait a little bit.”

Tim frowned deeply at that, but tried to stop thinking about it. He started thinking instead about how he was going to tell Kon who he was, because he was pretty sure not getting an outright no meant that Bruce was going to let him. “... Ow,” he mumbled when he landed head first on the floor, more out of surprise than any actual pain. 

* * *

“I believe Master Tim has just arrived,” Alfred- an honest to god butler- announced after checking an alert on his phone. They were just starting to discuss ideas for lunch when the phone had beeped. “Master Bruce, would you like to go meet him downstairs?” 

“Yes. Would you like to join us, Conner?”

“Uh yeah, sure. There’s a floor lower than this one?”

“Indeed.” And then, like some kind of spy movie scene come to life, Alfred set the grandfather clock in the room so that it moved aside to reveal a secret staircase. 

“Uh! You guys aren’t doing anything sketchy, are you?” He didn’t really feel like getting kidnapped while he wasn’t in his own body.

“Is _that_ what my voice sounds like to you,” and that was Kon’s own voice, sounding a bit far off and coming from down the stairs.

His hesitation flew away pretty quickly at the sound of his own voice. The stairs led down to an underground cave, which was weird, but not so much so that Kon couldn’t start putting things together. “Huh, it’s weird looking up at myself.”

Weirder to see himself glaring at a man that was almost certainly Batman. “I was planning to tell him.” 

“And now you’ll have an easier time doing so.”

Kon watched as his face scrunched up in an expression he doubted he’d ever worn on it, but he’d seen a few times on Robin when things weren’t going according to plan. 

And then Tim was finally actually looking at him and did a double take. “This is… so weird,” he muttered.

“But a good weird. I didn’t realize you were a fan,” Kon grinned. He was still wearing the Superboy shirt he woke up in.

“Oh my god,” Tim buried his face in his hands. “You told me to keep it, you can’t make fun of me for actually using it.”

“Sure I can; it makes it funnier.”

“Maybe I’ll just go back to Kansas.” Tim jerked his thumb back to indicate to the Batplane. “The Kent’s are nicer to me.”

“Who’s nicer to you than me? I am your soulmate after all.”

“Master Bruce, perhaps we should give them some privacy,” Alfred suggested, “so they can talk this out.”

Bruce nodded and followed Alfred out, but not without giving Kon a semi threatening look. Yep. Definitely Batman. 

“So, we’re soulmates. Should I take that you probably purposefully wore my shirt for your birthday as a good thing?” Kon knew that his Robin never did anything without thinking it over a million times.

“I didn’t realize- _yes_ it’s a good thing, I guess, but it’s also deeply embarrassing,” Kon was pretty sure his face hadn’t been that red since Clark had awkwardly tried to give him the talk after catching him staring at Robin. 

“I think I like seeing that blush on your face more.”

“Well, we’ve still got a few hours before we can stop looking at ourselves,” Tim told him after a glance at the wall of computer monitors. Tim floated a few feet off the ground -with better control than he should have after only a few hours, how was that even fair??- to circle around Kon, face scrunching up a little when he ended up back in front of him. “This is really weird.”

“Yeah, how are you doing that with so much control?” It took Kon at least a week to nail controlled flying.

“I practiced during the plane ride,” Tim shrugged. “And I spent a lot of time helping you practice.” 

“Well stop doing it, you’re already taller than me.” Apparently he never realized he was giving Tim neck strains.

Tim did not look impressed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, is that inconvenient for you,” he asked in a deadpan tone that belonged to Robin and sounded weird coming out in Kon’s voice. 

“Don’t think I’ll stop.”

“No, I can’t imagine you will.” And then Tim was looking at him very seriously, and Kon expected some kind of important talk about secret identities or soulmates. Instead what he got was, “please teach me how to fly properly. I’m only going superpowers for two days of my life, and I can’t get more than a few feet off the ground before losing control. I also still barely know how to land.” 

He should’ve known better than to expect Tim to want to talk about feelings. “Alright, but that means I get to play with some of your gadgets.”

Tim tilted his head considering it for a moment. “Yeah, that seems fair. Nothing too dangerous though. I’m not nearly as invulnerable as you.” 

“Yeah, I noticed. I had this headache for half the day until Alfred, your real _butler_ , gave me a mug of coffee. You have a problem.”

“Listen, you probably only got like an hour of sleep. That’s my bad.” Tim went to run a hand through his hair and then looked momentarily confused when he realized it was shorter than what he was used to. “I tried to stay awake for the soulmate swap,” he mumbled, just barely loud enough for Kon to hear with Tim’s weaker ears. 

“Yeah, that sounds like you.”

“Anyway,” Tim said dismissively. “Which gadgets do you want to try while you teach me how to use your superpowers?” 

Kon happily ran towards the closest wall of gadgets, where Tim gently but firmly told him ‘no’ to several of his first picks. 

They ended up in one of - _one of_ \- the gyms in the manor. Apparently Nightwing sometimes used it for trapeze practice, so it had high ceilings, making it the best place to fly around without risk of being spotted. 

The look Alfred gave them when he came to collect them for dinner several hours later seemed equal parts amused and disapproving. 

“I presume you’ll both be sleeping here tonight,” Alfred asked as he led them towards the dining room. 

“Probably. Pretty sure there are still things that need to be talked about.”

“I’ll be more open to doing that when I don’t have to do it looking at my own face with supervision and hearing my own heartbeat,” Tim said dismissively, not looking at either of them. 

“Looks like he’s staying,” Kon confirmed.

* * *

Tim couldn’t sleep. 

He was plenty tired; Kon’s body was actually used to a normal sleeping schedule, but being able to hear _everything_ in the manor and even beyond the walls… was distracting at best. 

It was two in the morning before he gave up and went to find Kon in the room next to his, apparently sleeping just fine until Tim perched on the edge of the bed. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” He said with a knowing smile.

“You’d think with how nosy I am I’d like the super senses powers, but I think I’ve decided I do not,” Tim responded. 

Kon scooted over and patted the side of the bed, inviting Tim to join him. “It takes time to get used to. With practice you learn how to block out the stuff you don’t care about.”

Tim hesitated for a second, but did lay down with him. “I somehow don’t think I’m going to get the time to practice that.”

“Try focusing on just one sound. It helps.”

Tim’s brows pinched together. “I’ve been trying to do that by focusing on talking to you, but I don’t want to keep you up until we swap back.”

“Don’t think that’s gonna help you,” Kon laughed, “I usually focus on Krypto’s snoring or a heartbeat.”

Tim nodded, focusing in on Kon’s heartbeat coming from his own chest. It was weird. He could hear the blood pumping, the air going in and out of his lungs- no. Just the heartbeat. 

Without letting himself think about it too much he moved closer to Kon, resting his head against his chest so he could focus more singularly on his heartbeat. Which was still weird since it was actually Tim’s heart - that he could hear picking up some speed- but it was kind of helping. He could feel himself relaxing a little as he focused. 

They both fell asleep easily once Tim got the hang of it. Tim woke up feeling a lot more like himself but also with an arm draped over him and Kon’s head resting on his chest.

He laid there for a few minutes, enjoying the closeness before trying to carefully extract himself without waking Kon.

“Stop moving,” Kon murmured.

“Let me up,” Tim countered.

“You need more sleep.”

“No, I need to go brush my teeth so I can kiss you now that I have my body back.” If Tim was pouting a bit it was only because he was still half asleep. 

“Like I need that,” Kon snorted, aiming a kiss at Tim’s lips and managing to only reach the corner of his mouth.

Tim was certain his face was as red as the S Kon and Clark liked to wear on their chests, and he squirmed a little harder in Kon’s grip now that he didn’t have to worry about waking him up. “Just let me up. I’ll be right back.” 

With a put upon sigh, Kon slid off of Tim’s chest and starfished out onto the bed.

When he came back he gave Kon an unimpressed look for taking up the whole bed before shrugging and simply dropping himself down on top of his …. friend? Boyfriend? 

Given how Kon pulled him down so they could be face to face, it was safe to assume the latter. “You know I can smell your morning breath anyway right? Super senses.”

“Don’t say that to me. I’m trying to compartmentalize it again, which is harder to do now that I’ve experienced it. I almost took an entire shower because I thought about the super senses for like two seconds, but I told you I’d be right back.”

“You smell fine,” Kon reassured.

“If I kiss you can we stop talking about this?”

“Definitely.”

Tim smiled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Kon’s lips. “Great, then shut up about it,” he mumbled against his mouth before kissing him again.


End file.
